Consumer protection refers to the laws designed to aid retail consumers of goods and services that have been improperly manufactured, delivered, performed, handled, or described. Such laws provide the retail consumer with additional protections and remedies not generally provided to merchants and others who engage in business transactions, on the premise that the consumers do not enjoy a sufficient bargaining position with respect to the businessmen with whom they deal and therefore should not be strictly limited by the legal rules that govern recovery for damages among businessmen. The overarching goal is to protect individuals and the interest of the public in general from unfair and misleading activity in business and commerce (such as false advertising and deceptive trade practices) and scams perpetrated by criminals (such as identity theft and pyramid schemes) that harm a substantial number of consumers.
Portal is a city in Burke County, North Dakota in the United States. The population was 131 at the 2000 census. Portal was founded in 1893. Portal sits near the Canadian border and is a major port of entry for road and rail traffic. North Portal, Saskatchewan is just over the border north of Portal. It is one of three 24-hour ports in North Dakota. The town is known for its "international" golf course. The ninth hole is partially in the United States and partially over the border in Canada.